Pneumatic loom stopping mechanism



Dec. 23', 1941. "R. e. TURNER 2,267,482

PNEUMATIC LOOM STOPPING MECHANISM File d Nov. 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a INVENTOR m RICHARD G. TURNER ATTORNEY R. G'. TURNER 2,267,482

PNEUMATIC LOOM STOPPING MECHANISM Filed NOV. 25, 1940 Dec. 23, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 !7 !VMK- ///////l////I//////////////// k\ k INVENTOR RICHARD G-TURNER ATTORNEY trolling the weft ends of reserve bobbins;

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice PNEUMATIC LOOM STOPPING MECHANISM Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 25, 1946, Serial N0. '366,988

11 Claims. (01. 139-336) This invention relates to loom stopping mechanisms and it is general object of the-invention to provide a pneumatic brake connected to a moving part of the loom and operating at the time of loom stoppage to arrest the part and by it stop the loom. i l

Inmy prior Patent No. 2,199,353 there is shown a pneumatic pump operated bythe lay for con- While carrying on certain experiments with the mechapossible to stop the loom very quickly by closing the inlet port to the pump. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a pump operated by the lay and having an intake which can be closed by some part having a movement when the loom is to be stopped, such asthe shipper handle, to provide a closed pneumatic system the pressure within whichwill be altered an have the effect of stopping th 1 m It is customary to set the stopping mechanism so that the lay will stop in its forward-motion before reaching the fell of the cloth whenthere is a fault either in the weft of the running shuttle or the warp threads, and it is of course necessary to stop the loom on its forward beat when a misplaced shuttle operates the protecting mechanism. Under these conditions the lay is stopped during its advance and I accomplish this result by providing a valve to beclosed so that forward motion of the lay will be arrested by compression of air in the closed system. When stopping the loom. by hand, however, it is customary for weavers to throw the shipper handle immediately after picking on the backward stroke of thelay, and under these conditions my invention operates to .arrest the lay by the creation oi subatmospheric pressure within the closed system,

When .the loom is stopped by the weft stop mechanism it is ordinarily necessary to move the lay backwardly a sufficient amount to open the shed so that the faulty pick can be removed. It

has been customary heretofore, 'because'oi the construction of stopping and braking mechanism used prior to my invention, to movethe lay manually, but I find that the compressed air within the closed system has the effector movingthe lay rearwardly without requiring manual operation on the part of the weaver. i .1 I

In the customary braking mechanism the strain of stopping the lay i's'transmitted' through the top shaft and crank connectors, and also the loom gearing. It is a further object of my invention to connect the lay directly to the air pump and stop the loom without subjecting the usual driving parts to'pstrain.

nism shown in that patent I' discovered that it is A still further object of ,my invention is to efiect immediate release of'the brake as soonas the shipper handle starts toward running-position, thereby avoiding .anypossibilityof starting the loom while the brake is still on. i

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described. 7

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a loom built according to my present invention, i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the pump, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the valve, Fig. 4 indicates the manner in which the compressed airwithin the" system acts" to moyethe lay rearwardly after it has been" arrested inits forward beat, and" 1 i Fig. 5 is-a plan view of the valve looking the direction of arrow'5, Fig. -3.' i

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of l he drop-wire and electrode structure shown at the right of Figure l.

Referring to'the drawings I have shown a loom frame I0 having a lay L mounted on-lay swords it one of which is shown in Fig. The lay moves about a pivot l2 at the bottom of'theloom and is driven back and forth by means of a'connec-tor l3 derivingiits driving'iorce drama-driving crank shaft [4.

The loom has a shipper handle it fastened to the shipper rod l6 andfhavi-ng alug H for cooperationwith a shipper lever .l 8 pivoted asat W. The

lever has a notch .20 which is normally occupied by the lug l'l whenthe loom is runninsandthe shipper handle I5 is ,forward or in thefullline position shown in Fig.1. Axed 23 extends rearwardly toloom operating mechanism not shown but well understood and is attached by -means of a collar 24 to a tension spring 26 anchored to the loom frame at '25. The effect of spring-126 is to move the shipper lever rearwardly or to the right as viewedin Fig. 1 when the loom is 12 be on movement of the shipper handle from running to stopping position to close the pneumatic system already mentioned. For purposes of illustration I have shown but one automatic means for rocking the shipper handle, namely, an electric warp stop motion, but it is to be understood that this is but one of several mechanisms which can be used to effect movement of the shipper handle to stopping position.

A drop wire 30 normally held in raised position by a warp thread W has passing therethrough an electrode bar 3| having a grounded outside sheath 32 and aninsulated electrode'33 normally out of contact with the drop wire. An electric wire 34 leads to a source of electric power, such as a transformer 35, and then 'extends to a solenoid 36 having a core 31. A regularly rocking actuator 38 ordinarily misses a force transmitter 39 controlled by the solenoid.

The transmitter is pivoted to a lever 40 from "which extends a rod llattached to the shipper 44 to one side of the solenoid, and from the latter back to the transformer along wire 34. Thereupon the member 39 is raised into the path of the actuator and leverllil is rocked to effect movement of the shipper handle from running to stopping position through the connector rod 4|,

usually as the lay is moving forwardly. The

stopping mechanism is similar to that shown in prior patent to; Payne No. 1,873,465 and of itself ,fOIlIlS no partof my presentinvention, and is timed to rock the shipper handle from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 "as the lay is moving forwardly,.or to the left, Fig. 1.

All of the parts thus. far described are of known construction and operate in the usual manner, the lay L moving backwardly and forwardly or toward the right and left as viewedin Fig. 1, during loom operation. The shipper handle and the parts with which it cooperates are shown for illustrative purposes only and I do not wish to be limited to the details set forth, inasmuch as it is sufficient for the purposesof my present invention if there be a part in theloom, 'such as the shipper handle, which ismoved from running to stopping position and is held in stopping position by some such element as the spring 26. -As already stated, it is also sufficient for the purposes of my present invention if a form of stop motion operates to move the shipper'handle from running to stopping position, preferably "though not necessarily during the forward beat of the lay, and I do not wish to be limited in i the use of my invention to an electric warp stop motion.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide an upright lever 50 pivoted to the loom frame asat l and connected as at 52 to a forwardly extending rod 53 attached at 54 to the lay. Lever 50 is also pivoted as at 55 to a rod 55 connected as at 51, see Fig. 2, to a piston 58 which reciprocates in the pump cylinder 59. The pump is held in fixed position on a stand fill secured as at 6| to the loom frame.

The forward end of the cylinder is closed by .a head 65 from which extends a tube 66 having Ia bore 61 communicating with the interior of, ""the pump.

The tube is preferably secured to a small brass pipe 68 which leads forwardly and has the front end thereof provided with a tube 69 which is embedded as at 10 into a soft rubber tube H having a relatively small bore 12 extending therethrough. The mass of rubber or tube H may be inclosed within a metallic sheath 15 which is held by a bracket 16 mounted on the loom frame as at 11. The forward end of the mass of rubber I0 is formed with a conical socket 80 into which the bore 12 opens.

The shipper handle [5 carries a small plug 85 from which rearwardly projects a conical valve 86 proportioned to enter the conical seat 80.

"a stepping position when the loom is to be stopped. V

During loom operation the shipper handle is forward with the plug out of the socket and the lay reciprocates in usual manner. By reason of rods 53 and 56 the piston 58 moves back and forth in the cylinder 59, the piston moving forwardly as the lay advances and moving rearwardly on the backward stroke of the lay. During forward motion of the piston air-will be permitted to escape through the seat 80. Should the loom be stopped automatically as by operation of the electric warp stop motion, the shipper handle will be moved rearwardly to disconnect the loom from its driving motor and the valve 86 will enter the seat 80 to close the latter and establish a closed pneumatic system including the pipe 68 and the volume of air in the pump in front of the piston. Further advance of the lay will immediately'compress the air in the pump the effect of which is to cause prompt loom stoppage.

As soon as the lay has come to rest the compressed air tends to expand and in doing so will move the piston and therefore lever and rod 53 rearwardly to move the lay back. When weaving is to be resumed the shipperhandle will be moved forwardly and the valve 86 will move out of the pocket 8|].

If the weaver wishes to stop the loom'manually the shipper handle will be moved from running to stopping position during backward motion of the lay as soon as picking has been I completed, and under these conditions the valve Will enter the pocket to close the pneumatic system as piston 58 is moving rearwardly, thus tending to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the system, and the lay will be stopped in much the same manner as it does when resisted by compressed air. If it should be d'esired to'move the lay any considerable amount beyond the position to which it is moved by the effort of the closed pneumatic system" to reach normal atmospheric pressures, the shipper handle-can be 'moved slightly to open the system.

From the foregoing it will-be seen that I have provided a simple pneumatically operating loom stopping system which can be effectively closed by movement of some part of the loom from running to stopping position. It will further be seen that the system operates whether the lay is moving forwardly to compress the air or moving rearwardly to rarefy it. Furthermore, the tendency of the air within the closed system to assu'me' normal atmospheric conditions is'used Tto movethe lay in a reverse direction as soon' as it has come to rest. This is particularly useful when the layismoving forwardly and a fault in either the weft or warp system is to be corthe loom, hence thebrake is always relievedbefore the driving mechanism is connected to the loom. It will also be noted that the strain of stopping the lay is transmitted through rod '53 and lever 59 to the pump piston without subjecting the crank shaft M to any strain.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the in vention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a part which has a regularly recurring motion during loom operation, said part being incorporated into the loom so that stoppage of said part causes loom stoppage, an air pump connected to and operated by said part during loom operation and tending to create abnormal atmospheric pressures, hollow means connected to the pump forming with the latter a normally open pneumatic system, a member movable from running to stopping position at any time during operation of the loom when the loom is to be stopped, and means operated by the member when the latter moves to stopping position to close said pneumatic system and cause the air pump to exert a stopping force on the loom.

2. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, an air pump connected to and operated by the lay throughout a reciprocation of the lay, hollow means communicating with the pump and constituting with the latter a normally open pneumatic system, a member to move from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, and means controlled by said member when moving to stopping position to close the pneumatic system and cause the air pump to exert -a stopping force on the lay.

3. In stopping mechanism for a loo-m having a reciprocating lay, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston to be reciprocated in the cylinder, connections between the lay and the piston to reciprocate the latter by a force derived from the lay as the lay reciprocates, a member to have a movement from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, hollow means connected to the cylinder constituting a normally open pneumatic system, and means operated by the member when moving to stopping position to close said pneumatic system, movement of the piston within the cylinder when the system is closed altering the pneumatic pressure within the closed system the effect of which is to offer resistance to further movement of the lay.

4. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston to be reciprocated in the cylinder, connections between the lay and the piston to reciprocate the latter by a force derived from the lay as the lay reciprocates, a pipe connected to the cylinder and having a normally open orifice, a loom controlling handle movable from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, and a closing element on the handle for the orifice to be moved into the latter when the shipper handle moves to stopping position to prevent passage of air through the orifice and thereby create a closed pneumatic system including the pipe and the pump the effect of which is toresist motion of the lay.

5. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston to be reciprocated in the cylinder, connections between the lay and the piston to reciprocate the latter by a force derived from the lay-as the lay reciprocates, hollow means presenting a normally open orifice pneumatically connected to the cylinder, a loom controlling handle movable from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, a closing element on thehandle to be moved into the orifice to close the latter when the handle moves to stopping position, thereby preventing passage of air through the orifice during forward motion of the lay and the lay when moving forwardly tending to compress the air within the cylinder and thereby have its motion arrested, the air within the cylinder acting while the handle is in stopping position to exert a rearward force on the lay through said connections tending to move the lay rearwardly due to the compressed air within the cylinder.

6. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston .to be reciprocated in the cylinder, connections between the lay and the piston to reciprocate the latter within the cylinder by a force derived from the lay as the lay reciprocates, a member to have a movement from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, hollow means pneumatically connected to the cylinder having a normally open orifice through which air may pass into and from the cylinder, said means and cylinder constituting a normally open pneumatic system, and means controlled by said member to close the orifice when the loom is/to be stopped, thereby closing the pneumatic system and preventing passage of air into or out of the orifice, motion of the lay subsequent to closing the pneumatic system creating an abnormal air pressure within the closed system which acts through the piston in said connections to resist motion of the lay.

7. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston to be reciprocated in the cylinder, connections between the lay and the piston to reciprocate the latter by a force derived from the lay as the lay reciprocates, a member to have a movement from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, hollow means pneumatically connected to the cylinder having a normally open orifice through which air may pass into and from the cylinder, said means and cylinder constituting a normally open pneumatic system, and means controlled by the member to closethe orifice when the loom is to be stopped, thereby closing the pneumatic system and preventing passage of air into or out of the orifice, motion of the lay creating an abnormal air pressure within the closed system which acts through the piston and said connections to resist motion of the lay, the abnormal pressure acting when :he lay is stopped to give said lay a reverse moion.

8. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a rotating driving shaft and a crank connector -from the lay as the lay reciprocates, hollow .means connected to the interior of the pump and constituting with the latter a normally open pneumatic system, and means to close said pneumatic system at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, movement of the lay subsequent to closing of the system ..creating abnormal pressure conditions within the closed system tending to resist motion of the lay by a force transmitted from the latter through said connections between the piston and lay independently of the crank shaft and crank connector.

9. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, a shipper handle movable from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, an air pump including a cylinder, a piston connected to the lay and caused by the latter to reciprocate in the cylinder as the lay .reciprocates', hollow means communicating with the interior of the pump and constituting with the latter a normally open pneumatic system,

and a valve moving with the shipper handle to close said system when the shipper handlemoves 'to stopping position, movement of the lay subsequent to closure of the system creating abnormal air pressures within the system tending to resist motion of the lay, and the first part of movement of the shipper handle from stopping toward running position moving said valve away from said pneumatic system to open the latter.

10. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, a shipper handle movable from running to stopping position at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped, loom controlling mechanism connected to and movable by the shipper handle and including means to hold said shipper handle in stopping position, means constituting a normally open pneumatic system, force transmitting means connected to and operated by a force derived from the lay as the lay reciprocates to act upon said system and tend to' alter the air pressure within said system, and means moving with the shipperhandle to close said system when the shipper handle moves to stopping position, whereupon the closed pneumatic system acts through said.force transmitting means to resist further motion of the lay.

11. In stopping mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay, means constituting a pneumatic system normally open when the loom is running, a member connected to and operated by a force derived from the lay throughout a reciprocation of the lay tending to alter the air pressures within the normally open system, and means to close the system at any point in the lay reciprocation when the loom is to be stopped and thereby cause said member to develop abnormal air pressures within said closed system tending to resist motion of the lay subsequent to closure of the system.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

